In the first years of your child’s life, you will notice many changes and growth; thus, you must track the developmental milestone that she accomplishes. When do babies rollover, when do babies sit up, to even when is baby ready for finger foods? These are all critical milestones and existing accomplishments for both you and baby.
Rolling over will happen as a surprise, and soon her favorite trick would be moving from her tummy to her back. These fun tricks help develop her neck, back, and arm muscles while discovering new ways she can move her body without your help. Just ensure that she is safe where she is exploring these new moves; you could use pillows as a safe barrier to keep her contained, whether on the bed or changing table.
When do babies roll over?
Children develop at different rates, some might be able to roll over while they sleep in just the first few days in this world, but for most babies, they will be able to roll on to their side in the first few months. By month 4, she will have good upper body strength plus muscles that will hold her upper body up, like she is doing a mini push-up.
Some bodies can do this as early as three months; this is why tummy time is essential to strengthening those muscles. But by month four, she will get pretty good with the whole rolling over, and by about month six is where she will blow you away with her stunts. Effortlessly moving from her stomach to back and get back to her stomach.
How you can help your baby roll over.
1. You need to ensure that your baby is getting sufficient tummy time play. A simple yet essential exercise for your little one as this helps strengthen her muscles. Start with a few minutes on her tummy, 2-5minutes, then slowly work your way to about 15 – 20 minutes. However, you need to supervise the tummy session to ensure she is safe and comfortable.
2. To make these sessions a little more exciting for her, try and get some tantalizing toys; this should help her learn to roll over as she tries to reach out for these toys. You could also have some belly bait to help her reach out for them; this will help bring strong arm muscles, and once lovely and strong, helps in her side roll stunts.
3. You could also practice some gentle roll, roll her gently from side to side and slowly to her back; this will help her know how it is done. Or you could also get down and show her your stunts, roll from your belly to your back, give her an exciting show she would want to copy.
What you should not worry about.
Once your baby masters the art of rolling over, you will notice that she also rolls over in her crib while asleep. This is not something you should worry about; it is part of her development and exploring stage. However, to keep her safe as she sleeps, ensures you turn her to her back, even though she doesn’t stick to this position.
Your baby has come a long way; she has learned to hold her head and roll over to her back, so that means, even when she is asleep, when rolled to her tummy she is also aware to sense trouble when sleeping. Thus, she is less likely to be trapped in an uncomfortable position where her breathing could be compromised.
And by six months old, your baby is past the age where SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is high risk in infants. Suppose you are still not ready to find your baby sleeping on her tummy, how about laying her on her side or back while having one hand extended. In this position, if she is to roll, she will most likely only reach to her side and won’t be able to roll over completely to her tummy as the extended arm will tuck underneath her.
A key point to remember, baby’s developments are different; thus, she will be able to roll over when she is ready at her own pace.
What is next after rolling over?
Rolling over has been a great experience, but what is next after this? Once she is strong enough and can hold her head up while at tummy time, then you could try sitting her up. Start with assisting her to this position, some cushions on her side until she is stable enough to hold up her upper body. By six months, your baby should be able to sit up with a bit of support, and by nine months, she should be independent in seating on her own with no help.
When do babies crawl?
At about six months, you should notice your baby exploring different ways of moving around; she might start rocking back and forth with knees and hands, which is where it all begins. As she moves back and forth, you might see some movement; she could start moving back before being able to crawl forward, which is perfectly normal. And by nine months, you should be able to see more coordinated crawling moves, probably creep and crawl type of motion or a commando type of crawl where she pulls herself across the living room -whatever the case, it’s some movement taking place.
To encourage your little one to start crawling, allow her to play on the floor, ensure this is a safe area. Please have a few of her favorite toys slightly out of her reach; this should encourage her to reach out for them.
Once you notice your baby has become mobile, you must childproof your home. Cleaning detergents should be locked away; safely lock your basement doors and baby proof the sockets. To quickly identify the hazardous areas, try to get on your knees and look at things at your baby’s eye level; this should quickly help you identify areas needing extra proof.
Something important to note on when do babies rollover?
Baby milestones are achieved at different levels with every child, thus ensure you are patient and give her the needed time. At the same time, please do your best in helping develop her muscles, as these are key to moving from one milestone to the next. And as you have seen, is six months is the golden month; it is when you should witness tremendous changes in your baby, something to look forward to.
